Informatization and Religion

在这项研究中，一方面社会的信息化和另一方面宗教的转变之间的关系进行了审查。为了考察上述关系，我们选择了日本宗教的以下几个方面。(1)（2）人类潜能运动和新时代运动中的人际关系特征：（3）近年来对非传统丧葬方式感兴趣的人的意识和关系;（4）20世纪70年代以来，安胎仪式行为迅速流行的原因：（5）每年的仪式和节日的变化模式以及参与者的意识特征;（6）新旧宗教团体利用新媒体技术的方式多种多样;（7）占卜媒介的长期变化。这些主题进行了实证调查，每个研究人员和调查结果进行了比较，通过一系列的讨论，其中一些一般性的意见。我们还尝试收集了一些西方国家特别是美国的资料，对信息化与宗教进行比较研究。通过这些研究，我们可以了解信息化社会中人们相互交往方式的变化，以及宗教信息的传播方式。通过宗教视角，我们也发现了日本社会信息化的文化方面的一些特点。

In this research the relationship between the informatization of the society on one hand and the transformation of religion on the other was examined. We have selected following aspects of Japanese religion in order to investigate the above relationship. (1) So called 'Neo-New Religions' of the 1970s and 80s with respect to their group organization and information control ; (2) Features of the interpersonal relationship found in Human Potential Movements and New Age movement ; (3) Consciousness and relationships of those who are interested in unconventional type of funerals and graves in recent years ; (4) The reason of the rapid popularization of the ritual behaviors conducted to calm the spirits of the aborted fetuses since 1970s ; (5) Changing pattern of the yearly rituals and festivals and features of consciousness of those who participate in them ; (6) Various way of utilizing the new media technology in religious groups old and new ; (7) Long range change of media utilized for divination. These subjects were investigated empirically by each researcher and findings were compared through a series of discussions in which some general observations were derived. We have also attempted to gather some data on Western countries especially on the United States in order to carry out some comparative study on informatization and religion. Through these researches we could understand the changing way in which people interact with each other and also the way in which religious information is communicated in the informatized society. We have also found some characteristics of cultural aspects of informatization in Japanese society through religious perspective.